How we stay neutral
ThinkBallot never tells you how to vote. Neutrality isn't a promise we make; it's how the system is built. Here's the whole pipeline, in plain terms.
The pipeline
1 · Official sources
The Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide and the Legislative Analyst's Office. Nothing else.
2 · Copy, word for word
Each field is copied exactly, with a link to the page it came from. No AI writes the cards.
3 · Bias Buster verifies
Every field must be found word for word on its source page, or nothing is published. Our own labels must pass every check.
4 · Your ballot
What you read is a fast lookup over that checked data. No AI runs while you browse.
One exception: when you ask a question, an AI drafts an answer from the official text only, with quotes, and Bias Buster checks it before you see it.
Your question
"How should I vote?" gets a fixed answer: that's your call.
Grounded draft
The AI may only use this proposition's official text, and must quote it.
Bias Buster
Quote, number, loaded-word and balance checks, an AI review, then the checks again.
Answer
Shown with its quotes, its sources and Bias Buster's result.
Answers to the suggested questions are prepared in advance. For the Spanish and Chinese pages, ThinkBallot translates only an English answer that has passed Bias Buster; it never writes a new one. Every number must match the English, and a second AI checks each translated sentence against the English: same meaning, nothing added or left out, no persuasive wording. A translation that fails any check isn't shown; you get the English answer instead. Quotes stay official text: the Secretary of State's official translation where it has the same passage word for word, otherwise the English original.
The rules
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Official sources only | Everything comes from the official voter guide and the Legislative Analyst. No news, no social media. |
| Their words, not ours | Summaries, YES and NO meanings, fiscal effects and arguments are shown word for word, each with a link to the exact page. |
| Both sides, equally | YES always comes before NO, in the same layout, style and colour. The official arguments for and against sit side by side. |
| Quote it or skip it | A field we can't source says "Not available in the official guide." An answer we can't ground is held back. |
| Your ZIP code is never stored | We use only the ZIP code to find your likely districts, then discard it. Questions aren't logged. Stars and reading progress stay in your own browser. |
Bias Buster
Bias Buster checks every piece of text we write and every AI answer before you see it. Two jobs: no bias and no made-up facts.
- Quote check. Every point in an answer must quote the official text, and the quote must be found there word for word. If it isn't, the point is removed.
- Number check. Every number, dollar amount, percentage or date must appear in the official text.
- Loaded-word check. Persuasive words like "disastrous" or "common-sense" are caught unless the official text itself uses them.
- Balance check. When both sides are covered, YES and NO must both be there, at similar length.
- AI review. A second AI model reviews each answer for one-sided framing, hints about how to vote, and claims the source doesn't support. Its edits go through checks 1 to 4 again. If the review can't run, the answer is held back.
Community rules
Community discussion opens after the election. These are the rules it will follow.
The discussion and community facts sit in a separate zone under each official card. They can never change the official card. People may be partisan there; ThinkBallot never is. Moderation judges conduct, never viewpoint.
- Disagree with ideas, not people. No insults, harassment or slurs.
- No spam, ads or links to unofficial sources passed off as facts.
- Don't share anyone's personal information, including your own.
- Comments appear right away. If five established accounts flag one, it's hidden until a moderator reviews it.
- Community facts need a source link and neutral wording (checked by Bias Buster). Government sources are marked ✓ official source. They're published only after people who lean YES and people who lean NO both rate them helpful (bridging consensus), and a moderator confirms the citation supports them.
What we will never do
No endorsements. No predictions. No "how you should vote."